U.S. judge orders Apple, Amazon to hold settlement talks

January 16, 2013 - 18:32 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Apple Inc. and Amazon.com Inc. were ordered to hold settlement talks to try to resolve the iPhone maker’s trademark infringement suit over the online retailer’s use of the term “app store.”

According to Bloomberg, U.S. Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Laporte in San Francisco directed the companies to confer on March 21 and to bring their lead attorneys and people who have full authority to negotiate and settle the case, according to a court filing. A trial is scheduled for August.

Apple is seeking a court order to block Amazon from using the term Appstore in its service to sell software for devices running Google Inc.’s Android operating system. Apple alleges the online retailer infringes its trademark and violates unfair competition laws.